


contact

by chouzai



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, magicians assemble is a fucked up event man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-11 20:53:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10474206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chouzai/pseuds/chouzai
Summary: They're both a little more ruined, but they figure it's better being ruined together than being ruined alone.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [glorybringer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorybringer/gifts).



> so... did ya' know it's emme's birthday?  
> :3c  
> happy birthday. im love you! i hope you like it! ♥  
> (i cried writing this for you)

The first time they met was when Natsume had enrolled in the Aoba family's idol training school. 

Tsumugi's mother introduced him to the cute "girl," the boy bowing his head and offering a friendly smile. 

"Why don't you show Natsume-chan around?" the elder's mother asked, urging the taller forward.

They blinked at one another before Tsumugi, everyone's _favorite_ big brother, took the younger's hand, nodding eagerly. "Okay, yeah! Let's go, Natsume-chan! I'm Tsumugi— You can call me 'Tsumugi-niisan,' too though, okay?"

They were children at the time, faces rounder, innocence untainted. Even then, Natsume still wore his familiar glare in reply to Tsumugi's kind smile. Their fingers fit perfectly together, but they were just kids. Something like this didn't have deep meaning. To Tsumugi, it was embarrassing to be so close to a "girl," but for Natsume, he was just touching an overly friendly boy that was just so _annoying_.

They only thought of simple things like this though, never really thinking too deeply. 

Being children meant taking things at face value, after all.

* * *

They met again years later in a high school meant for idols.

At the time, Natsume was kinder, words less cruel and more open to conversation. Their reunion was pleasant, peaceful, and full of reminiscence. It made Tsumugi giddy, so much so he was brimming with excitement. It wasn't as though he were in love with that young girl he had met so long ago, but he was happy reuniting with the child of the woman who helped his own mother. They had given his mother a lot at the time, it was only expected he do something in return to express his gratitude as well as his happiness. 

"Please, think of me as your mother and let me spoil you! Shall I give you a hug?" the elder asked, smiling wide, arms raising as though he truly were going to wrap the boy in an embrace. He inched forward, just a tad, looking as if he were really going to hug Natsume without permission. 

Natsume only grimaced, head shaking as he brushed the elder's nearing hand away. "Er... You've gotten annoying NOW..." he muttered in response, breathing a sigh as his eyes rolled. 

And yet, despite it all, things were nice like this. 

_Don't get too over-familiar with mE, nii-san. Most of the TIME, an unhappy ending is all that awaits when a normal human like you involves themselves with a MAGICIAN._

It's only later does Nasume wish he pushed through with his own warning.

* * *

"HEY... what are you, EXACTLY?"

It's autumn now, fine is at their peak. Natsume looks at Tsumugi with anger, frustration, eyes full of absolute _hatred_. But, still, Tsumugi chooses not to acknowledge it, speaking in his carefree tone as though he weren't apart of the cause of all of Natsume's troubles. 

Even when the younger yells at him, words full of venom, looking as though he were on the verge of tears, Tsumugi still remains calm. All the peace they had in their first reunion flies out the quickly closing window of Tsumugi's opportunity to apologize. To express his condolences. To treat Natsume as though he were as much of a human as any of those fine were "protecting."  

"If you hate me, Natsume-kun, I won't mind if you punch me."

And that's what Natsume does. 

* * *

They're both a little broken after fine's live against Wataru. 

Tsumugi finds Natsume with his face buried in his knees, hidden away in that secret room no one except the younger uses. Natsume curls in on himself when he hears footsteps come closer, his body stilling when Tsumugi decides to sit next to him. Neither move and neither makes a sound.

That is, until Tsumugi laughs emptily, head shaking. 

"'No matter what kind of terrible situation, it'll work out as long as you're alive,' huh...? I'm sorry, Natsume-kun, I..."

He hears the younger sniffle, gaze turning from the wall to look at the teary-eyed boy. He's glaring at him, eyes saying _It's too late for apologies_ , but he opens his arms expectantly, sniffling all the while. 

 _Shall I give you a hug?_ Tsumugi hears himself in the echoes of his own memory and he feels the sting in his eyes, brows furrowing as he leans closer, squeezing Natsume tightly, his face burrowing in the younger's shoulder. They cry together, picking pieces of one another back up in a sorry attempt to save what's already been chipped away. They cry until they can't cry anymore, remaining in each other's quiet company, allowing those pieces to fall back down and mix with the other's. 

They're both a little more ruined, but they figure it's better being ruined together than being ruined alone.

* * *

"Ugh, can you be any slOWER?" Natsume groans, pausing in his step to kindly await Tsumugi. 

"I'm sorry, Natsume-kun! I saw something Sora-kun would like, so..." 

That sparked Natsume's interest, the younger rejoining Tsumugi's side. He hummed thoughtfully, brow raising as he peered into the window, obviously eager to please their unit's youngest member. While he should have been offended Natsume was only kind like this to the boy, Tsumugi only grins, laughing softly to himself. This catches Natsume's attention, the magician narrowing his eyes as he looks back up at the elder. 

"WhAT?" 

"No, it's nothing! It's just... When it comes to Sora-kun, you behave differently. I'd like you to behave kindly to me too, but I suppose it's endearing." 

He earns a punch to the arm for this, Tsumugi yelping as Natsume huffs. The taller is too busy rubbing his arm to notice Natsume come closer, only reacting once his fingertips snake their way into the gaps between his own fingers. Although still recovering from the throbbing in his upper arm, Tsumugi gives Natsume's hand a gentle squeeze, smiling despite the slowly leaving pain. He enjoyed holding hands with Natsume.

It was different than when they were children. Tsumugi wasn't pulling him along, leading him around a place he knew like the back of his hand. Instead, like this, they were seeing the wide, unknown world together.

Neither of them said so aloud, but they both treasured the way their fingers seemed to fit together, just like pieces of a puzzle. 

Those broken pieces of themselves would never be able to fit perfectly back together, but they were able to when it came to one another. They tried piecing that intricate puzzle back together, and yet the only thing that fit like they belonged were their laced fingers. Neither minded the scars that were left because they had each other. They weren't alone in their healing, and that was the most important thing. 

They had each other's warmth, and that was enough.

"Hmph. To be jealous ovER that child is ridiCULOUS," Natsume chides. "Humans have certain beHAVIORS in response to who they are in the company oF. Such isn't false when it comes to a magICIAN either."

"Aha, is that so? Well, that's fine. Any side of Natsume-kun, I like, so no need to hold back, okay? It's not as though I'll leave you any time soon." 

"NatuRALLY. Even if you'd wish for dEATH, I will not allow iT." 

"That was a little scary, wasn't it?!" 

"Hm...~ When it comes to SoRA, he'd like this, wouldn't hE..." 

"Natsume-kun?! H-hey?!" 

There's a tiny smile of mischief on Natsume's lips, Tsumugi's brows furrowing as he begs Natsume to acknowledge his fear. It's always like this, teasing and yelling, but it's peaceful. Just like their youth, just like their first reunion, it's calming. 

And it's fine like this, and it's enough.

**Author's Note:**

> im on twitter as your one and only @sunshowerfes! ☆


End file.
